Every Day Is Special: June 26 - National Coconut Day

June 26 - National Coconut Day

Posted on June 26, 2020

The palm tree is for some a symbol of the good life, tropical style: Hawaii, Bali, Tahiti, and so much more.

For others it calls to mind Southern California, L.A., Hollywood.

Actually, palm trees are one of the most useful trees in the world. In tropical areas, it is sometimes called the "tree of life," because it provides fuel, building materials, food, cosmetics, folk medicine, and so much more.

The tree of life, lit up for December holidays!

The fruit of the palm tree is a coconut. It's not actually a nut, botanically speaking; it's a drupe. The two parts used for food are the inner flesh of the mature seed and the liquid coconut milk. Coconut can of course be eaten in raw chunks. But it is commonly processed: flaked and toasted, processed for coconut oil or coconut milk, and so forth.

The hard coconut shell can also be processed to make charcoal, and the fibrous brown part of the coconut, called coir, is used to make mats and brushes and mattresses and more.

Coir from unripe coconuts is useful for other things. It's called white coir, and it is used to make fine brushes (as opposed to bristly ones), string, rope, and fishing nets. Ropes made with white coir don't sink!

But on Coconut Day, I'm thinking food. Mmm...Magic Cookie Bars, Almond Joy candy bars, coconut blondies...